"A waffle is like a pancake with a syrup trap." - Mitch Hedberg

This is our penultimate day on "vacation." Saturday morning we'll leave this state park early and make the 8-hour drive to Rohnert Park, CA, an hour north of S.F., where we've reserved a room. Then Sunday we'll drive into SFO where Pam will get on a plane to fly home. Me? Well, I'll wait to tell you what I'm going to do, but it's a little extra treat at the end - dessert. I'm eager for it.

OK, first the food report.

We had dinner at Griff's last night. Hey, when I take my wife out to eat it's top drawer all the way. Nothing but the best. And this joint rates right up there. You've got to drive down to the dock in Port Orford, which isn't easy to do because the road leading down there is almost hidden. It's actually a restaurant, bait shop, and museum, all in about 1200 sq. feet. The dining room has six tables that seat four each, on chairs with castors. I didn't take pics because the other diners might have found that weird.

This was our view out the window at our table. Halfway through dinner a seagull perched on a picnic table (overflow seating) just on the other side of the glass and watched us eat.

Port Orford has its own Wikipedia article that says it's one of the few (the only?) port on the west coast with no deep water access so boats are lifted out of the water by two huge cranes (one in the background) and set on dollies.

Pam's scallops were, she said, very good. My salmon was not cooked thoroughly ("think of it as sushi" I told myself) and not particularly tasty. I was a little disappointed given the fantastic meal we had there three years ago. But that's always the risk you take when off the culinary grid.

This morning we went to another Port Orford must-do, the Paradise Cafe. We ate there three years ago, too, and this time was just as good as the last. Another throw-back diner with plenty of locals to make us stand out as tourists. I ordered the same thing I did last time - two eggs, a pancake, and BACON. Here's what you get. And just in case you miss the perspective, that plate is oval and 14" across, and the pancake is thick. Sorry about the color; my cell phone doesn't have the best camera. And I didn't take any pics of the inside here either but just think of a diner from the 1950's, add a half century of honest wear, and you've got it.

OK, here's my plate when I was done. Pam was surprised I ate that much, but the food was that good. If you're ever in Port Orford.... And again, good, friendly people.

After breakfast we drove 10 miles up the coast to Cape Blanco. Three years ago we learned, "never camp at a place with Cape in the name." The wind blows at least 25 mph every day of the year, and today was 35.

We started with a tour of the Hughes House, built in 1896 by a crazy Irishman who thought this would make a great place to live. Because we've restored and lived in two century-old homes we found it particularly interesting and had a nice conversation with the couple who serve as docents.

From there a mile up the road to the Cape Blanco lighthouse where the wind was even stronger. Its one of the oldest continuous operating lighthouses on the west coast. This pic isn't the greatest but I had trouble standing, never mind holding the camera still because of the wind. We paid $2 each and took the tour, including a climb to the top up a very steep and narrow stairway. You can see another of the tour takers wearing a red jacket up at the top. Yeah, it's cozy, but the view is fantastic. It sits at the top of a 250' cliff and the light is visible 26 miles out to sea.

Back to our campsite for a late lunch, some reading, and now in the coffee shop on the main (pretty much the only) street in Port Orford. Pam's frying pork chops for dinner tonight and we'll read by the penultimate campfire. Heavy sigh. I'm not sure either of us are ready to go back to real life. Gotta make the most out of the next 36 hours.